SilentiumPC Spartan 5: This much power is often all you need

Buying powerful coolers for CPUs with power draw below 100 W is throwing money out the window. This is proved by the test results of the inexpensive new SilentiumPC cooler – Spartan 5. Considering the price, this cooler is sovereignly the best choice for most AMD Ryzen and Intel Alder Lake processors without an open multiplier. That it will be better to pay more for the Fera 5? Incorrect theory, and even here, less is sometimes more. Read more “SilentiumPC Spartan 5: This much power is often all you need” »

Noctua NH-L9i-17xx: Only 37 mm tall and 65 W in silence

Very low profile, high cooling performance and Intel LGA 1700 support. These are demanding requirements that Noctua NH-L9i-17xx meets as one of the few coolers (maybe the only one?). The first two requirements could probably be argued about in others, but in the end it still comes down to the support for Intel’s new socket. Moreover, the NH-L9i-17xx outperforms even coolers twice its size, including the Arctic Alpine 17, with the right settings. Read more “Noctua NH-L9i-17xx: Only 37 mm tall and 65 W in silence” »

Arctic Alpine 17 CO: A classic that’s going to have a hard time

Alpine coolers are always cheap and are sold at prices below ten euros. Active models with fans can be seen as simple replacements for box coolers. However, while Intel has vastly improved the coolers supplied with Alder Lake CPUs between generations, the biggest change with the new Alpine 17 is the added LGA 1700 support. The difference in cooling performance over the Laminar RM1 has thus narrowed considerably. Read more “Arctic Alpine 17 CO: A classic that’s going to have a hard time” »

Intel Laminar RM1 box cooler test. Why (not) throw it away?

Coolers supplied with processors are treated with prejudice. Often they don’t even get a chance and are immediately replaced by something “better”. The new Intel Laminar RM1 cooler is improved in many ways and to give you the best image of it, we have compared it both with its predecessor and with the popular SilentiumPC Fera 5 cooler. Tests on a CPU with limited power draw or at full power? Both! Read more “Intel Laminar RM1 box cooler test. Why (not) throw it away?” »

Gammaxx vs. Castle – Battle of DeepCool liquid coolers

What is better than one liquid AIO cooler? Two liquid AIO coolers. Today it’s time for the Gammaxx L360 V2 and Castle 360RGB V2 coolers. Both are among the top of DeepCool’s lineup, both use 360mm radiators, and both also feature Anti-Leak technology. However, our standardized noise methodology is generally very strict with AIO coolers. So I’m curious to see how Gammaxx and Castle perform in our stress tests. Read more “Gammaxx vs. Castle – Battle of DeepCool liquid coolers” »

Gigantic retrotest of 80 CPU coolers (2005–2015)

With all the hardware news, it’s good to stop and look back sometimes. In cooperation with the now-defunct ExtraHardware.cz magazine, we once created the biggest cooler comparison on the Internet. However, until now it has never been published in English. So finally. A large part of the coolers are still up-to-date (including Noctua NH-D15) but there are also some historical models such as Thermaltake Sonic Tower or the first Scythe Mugen. Read more “Gigantic retrotest of 80 CPU coolers (2005–2015)” »

SilentiumPC Fortis 5: Fera’s bigger and quieter brother on steroids

The SilentiumPC Fera 5 concept recently showed us how even a small cooler can be really efficient if the heatsink and fan optimization is done well. Today it’s the turn of the SilentiumPC Fortis 5, which is another iteration of SilentiumPC’s popular cooler, but now optimized in collaboration with Synergy Cooling. What’s more, today’s article is a straight triple test as we’ll be testing all three variants of the Fortis 5 cooler against each other. Read more “SilentiumPC Fortis 5: Fera’s bigger and quieter brother on steroids” »

DeepCool Assassin III – Silent killer of noise and temperature

Today I have the pleasure of introducing the Assassin III premium air cooler from DeepCool. Its size and construction is majestic, yet its design is pleasantly minimalistic without unnecessary bling. It also boasts high cooling efficiency (claimed TDP is up to 280 W). So I’m really curious to see how it performs in real tests on a hot CPU and what its acoustic performance will be like. Read more “DeepCool Assassin III – Silent killer of noise and temperature” »

Asus ROG Ryujin II 360: A missed opportunity with a déjà vu vibe

The Ryujin II 360 represents the pinnacle of Asus’ liquid AIO cooler range. This water cooler is based on the seventh generation of Asetek coolers. It boasts a trio of top-of-the-line Noctua NF-F12 Industrial PPC fans, and the ROG Fan Controller is also included. The premium components, however, come with a higher price tag. So I’m curious to see if the Ryujin II 360 can live up to it, or if it will fit in with the average of other AIO coolers. Read more “Asus ROG Ryujin II 360: A missed opportunity with a déjà vu vibe” »

SilentiumPC Fera 5 ARGB – Quiet, efficient and colourful

After a long hiatus, which was caused by a crash of the test setup, I am back again with CPU cooler reviews. Today I will focus on the ARGB version of the Fera 5 cooler from SPC. The Fera 5 cooler performed well beyond expectations in the tests and offered an interesting price to performance ratio. However, the ARGB version is equipped with a slightly different fan, so the cooler needs to be tortured again on a hot CPU and have its noise level measured. Read more “SilentiumPC Fera 5 ARGB – Quiet, efficient and colourful” »

SilentiumPC Navis Evo ARGB 360 – AIO cooler for everyone

In today’s review, I would like to show you another all-in-one liquid cooler. This time it is the highest AIO model from SilentiumPC – Navis Evo ARGB 360. In terms of price, AIO coolers from the Navis series are very attractive and offer an interesting price-performance ratio. So today, we’re going to check whether the manufacturer did not save costs in the wrong areas and whether this cooler can defend its place in a market full of competitors. Read more “SilentiumPC Navis Evo ARGB 360 – AIO cooler for everyone” »

Noctua NH-U12S redux – Affordable version of the popular cooler

Noctua NH-U12S redux was recently introduced as a more affordable alternative to the premium NH-U12S variants,especially the NH-U12S Chromax. The body of the cooler is slightly redesigned compared to the original version, and we can also find a NF-P12 redux fan here. Redux products are known for a budget-friendlier design, which is reflected in the lower price of this cooler. Let’s find out whether the savings were made in the wrong places. Read more “Noctua NH-U12S redux – Affordable version of the popular cooler” »

Noctua NH-P1 – First impression with some preliminary testing

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the prototype, but the first passive cooler from Noctua with the designation NH-P1 was finally introduced this week. Its design is rather different from usual coolers as the main priority is maximization of heat dissipation to its surroundings. And to increase its efficiency, a new A12x25 LS-PWM fan with very quiet operation was also introduced as complementary accessory for semi-passive cooling. Read more “Noctua NH-P1 – First impression with some preliminary testing” »

Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Prisma – Scandinavian minimalism

We have another flagship among all-in-one liquid coolers, this time from Fractal Design. We will focus in detail on the cooler Celsius+ S36 Prisma, which offers a pleasantly minimalist design with a pinch of ARGB lighting. And due to the size of the cooler, high cooling performance can be expected. The question remains, above all, whether it is not at the cost of too much noise, and also whether the cooler can defend its high price. Read more “Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Prisma – Scandinavian minimalism” »

SilentiumPC Fera 5 – The king is dead, long live the king!

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version. Read more “SilentiumPC Fera 5 – The king is dead, long live the king!” »